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Richard Girard is a polymath and autodidact whose greatest desire in life is to be his generations' Thomas Paine. He is an FDR Democrat, which probably puts him with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders in the current political spectrum. His answer to all of those who decry Democratic Socialism is that it is a system invented by one of our Founding Fathers--Thomas Paine--and was the inspiration for two of our greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt, who the Democrats of today would do well if they would follow in their footsteps. Or to quote Harry Truman, "Out of the great progress of this country, out of our great advances in achieving a better life for all, out of our rise to world leadership, the Republican leaders have learned nothing. Confronted by the great record of this country, and the tremendous promise of its future, all they do is croak, 'socialism.'
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Saturday, February 11, 2012
I Am Spartacus! Right-winger Mel Gibson's "Braveheart" was not the first or even the best movie about men who would rather die on their feet than live on their knees. And Kirk Douglas's "Spartacus" (and the Starz series as well) say a lot more about how the One Percent would like us to live under their heel. They want to destroy our worth as human beings, and then treat us as slaves. I say thee, Nay!
Saturday, February 11, 2012I Am Spartacus! Right-winger Mel Gibson's "Braveheart" was not the first or even the best movie about men who would rather die on their feet than live on their knees. And Kirk Douglas's "Spartacus" (and the Starz series as well) say a lot more about how the One Percent would like us to live under their heel. They want to destroy our worth as human beings, and then treat us as slaves. I say thee, Nay!
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Monday, January 23, 2012
Built on Shifting Sands Modern conservatism is a house, built on shifting sands. Its sole moral basis is "I've got mine, and I'll kill you if you try to take the smallest crumb." It lives by Burke's Vindication of Natural Society, which asserts that the sole purpose of the rest of us is to serve the rich. Is that with or with out gravy?
Monday, January 23, 2012Built on Shifting Sands Modern conservatism is a house, built on shifting sands. Its sole moral basis is "I've got mine, and I'll kill you if you try to take the smallest crumb." It lives by Burke's Vindication of Natural Society, which asserts that the sole purpose of the rest of us is to serve the rich. Is that with or with out gravy?
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Friday, January 6, 2012
Responsibility and Respect The conservatives continually cry out fro the Occupy Movement to act "responsibly," but without the respect that must go with it, democracy is impossible. The Athenians knew that 2500 years ago, but their Ayn Rands and Koch Brothers, Socrates and Critias, ignored it even then. The more things change, the more they remain the same.
Friday, January 6, 2012Responsibility and Respect The conservatives continually cry out fro the Occupy Movement to act "responsibly," but without the respect that must go with it, democracy is impossible. The Athenians knew that 2500 years ago, but their Ayn Rands and Koch Brothers, Socrates and Critias, ignored it even then. The more things change, the more they remain the same.
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Thursday, December 29, 2011
Let's Sit This One Out The three words at the start of our Constitution--We the People--make it a revolutionary document every bit as much as it is a legal one. Lincoln recognized that fact when he stated that we had the Constitutional right to change our Government, or the Revolutionary one to overthrow it. With one-half of our nation at 200% or less of poverty, the One Percenters had better take note.
Thursday, December 29, 2011Let's Sit This One Out The three words at the start of our Constitution--We the People--make it a revolutionary document every bit as much as it is a legal one. Lincoln recognized that fact when he stated that we had the Constitutional right to change our Government, or the Revolutionary one to overthrow it. With one-half of our nation at 200% or less of poverty, the One Percenters had better take note.
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Thursday, December 15, 2011
Friend of the Devil-A Rock and Roll Epistle There can be no doubt that America is going to Hell in a hand basket. I would rather be a Friend of the Devil than any of those sanctimonious bastards in the GOP who have done nothing while one third of our nation has fallen into poverty, myself included.
Thursday, December 15, 2011Friend of the Devil-A Rock and Roll Epistle There can be no doubt that America is going to Hell in a hand basket. I would rather be a Friend of the Devil than any of those sanctimonious bastards in the GOP who have done nothing while one third of our nation has fallen into poverty, myself included.
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Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Apology The Arab Spring. Wisconsin against Walkerism. Occupy Wall Street. The people are rising against their oppressors around the world, and the wolves are scared. Keep it peaceful, persevere, and we will win. Regrettably, not without cost.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011Apology The Arab Spring. Wisconsin against Walkerism. Occupy Wall Street. The people are rising against their oppressors around the world, and the wolves are scared. Keep it peaceful, persevere, and we will win. Regrettably, not without cost.
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Saturday, November 5, 2011
Simple As A-B-C Sometimes, the biggest arguments between the left and the right is an intentional misunderstanding by the right about the terms we use, including democracy. Neither the word republic or democracy is used in relation to the national government in our Constitution, and as Jefferson pointed out, democracy is the purest form of a republic, though not practicable above the size of a township.
Saturday, November 5, 2011Simple As A-B-C Sometimes, the biggest arguments between the left and the right is an intentional misunderstanding by the right about the terms we use, including democracy. Neither the word republic or democracy is used in relation to the national government in our Constitution, and as Jefferson pointed out, democracy is the purest form of a republic, though not practicable above the size of a township.
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Sunday, October 16, 2011
Occupying Our Time The Occupy Wall street is spreading faster than kudzu in hot weather. The big complaint from the media is that it seemingly has no purpose. Well let me suggest one: broad enough to include one of the 1100+ groups here in the U.S. plus all of those we are beginning to see sprouting up abroad. The restoration of human dignity for the 99% of us who aren't millionaires.
Sunday, October 16, 2011Occupying Our Time The Occupy Wall street is spreading faster than kudzu in hot weather. The big complaint from the media is that it seemingly has no purpose. Well let me suggest one: broad enough to include one of the 1100+ groups here in the U.S. plus all of those we are beginning to see sprouting up abroad. The restoration of human dignity for the 99% of us who aren't millionaires.
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Thursday, September 29, 2011
Liberty, Equality, Fraternity Liberty, Equality and Fraternity (Brotherhood) were the watchwords of France's Revolution 222 years ago. They are words we Americans need to remember as this election year approaches. There is a class war, and you and I, the people who that bloody elitist Ayn Rand and her ilk had the unmitigated temerity to call "parasites" are losing to the real parasites, Edmund Burkes idle rich.
Thursday, September 29, 2011Liberty, Equality, Fraternity Liberty, Equality and Fraternity (Brotherhood) were the watchwords of France's Revolution 222 years ago. They are words we Americans need to remember as this election year approaches. There is a class war, and you and I, the people who that bloody elitist Ayn Rand and her ilk had the unmitigated temerity to call "parasites" are losing to the real parasites, Edmund Burkes idle rich.
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Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Dignitas The biggest casualty in the war on the middle and working class has been millions of American's dignity. In the military, one of the first parts of breaking you down to be a good soldier is robbing you of any sense of dignity you might have. The difference is, the military then builds you back up with a new sense of dignity tied to your membership in the military. The ownership class wants it to remain destroyed.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011Dignitas The biggest casualty in the war on the middle and working class has been millions of American's dignity. In the military, one of the first parts of breaking you down to be a good soldier is robbing you of any sense of dignity you might have. The difference is, the military then builds you back up with a new sense of dignity tied to your membership in the military. The ownership class wants it to remain destroyed.
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Friday, August 26, 2011
Mayday! Mayday! The reality is that there is no cause for fear of our deficit NOW! If and only if we continue with the high level of unemployment that we are currently experiencing, the two budget draining wars, and the Bush era tax cuts ar we in trouble. No, this is about finishing off the middle class that scared the oligarchs to death in the '60's and '70's, the middle class established by FDR and his Democratic successors. Screw them.
Friday, August 26, 2011Mayday! Mayday! The reality is that there is no cause for fear of our deficit NOW! If and only if we continue with the high level of unemployment that we are currently experiencing, the two budget draining wars, and the Bush era tax cuts ar we in trouble. No, this is about finishing off the middle class that scared the oligarchs to death in the '60's and '70's, the middle class established by FDR and his Democratic successors. Screw them.
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Thursday, August 11, 2011
A "Cute" Depression is an Ugly Thing Depression is a word that describes both one of the most common and debilitating character disorders in psychiatry, and one of the two worst economic disasters that can happen to a nation. Neither can be solved by "just get over it," or "tough it through," in spite of what conservatives think. Nor can they be fixed with simple one size fits all solutions: the problems underlying them are much too complex. America has both.
Thursday, August 11, 2011A "Cute" Depression is an Ugly Thing Depression is a word that describes both one of the most common and debilitating character disorders in psychiatry, and one of the two worst economic disasters that can happen to a nation. Neither can be solved by "just get over it," or "tough it through," in spite of what conservatives think. Nor can they be fixed with simple one size fits all solutions: the problems underlying them are much too complex. America has both.
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Thursday, August 11, 2011
Working Class Hero-A Rock and Roll Epistle Does the recent debt ceiling compromise make you feel like a used Kleenex? If you think it is bad for you, my fellow Boomers, how do you think the younger generation feels who placed so much hope in Obama, and now feel betrayed by the system. We cannot permit this generation to fall into nihilistic apathy. We must teach them to have hope, even when they are betrayed, because the real power comes from them.
Thursday, August 11, 2011Working Class Hero-A Rock and Roll Epistle Does the recent debt ceiling compromise make you feel like a used Kleenex? If you think it is bad for you, my fellow Boomers, how do you think the younger generation feels who placed so much hope in Obama, and now feel betrayed by the system. We cannot permit this generation to fall into nihilistic apathy. We must teach them to have hope, even when they are betrayed, because the real power comes from them.
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Saturday, July 23, 2011
Dumb and Dumbest If Obama is simply the populist stalking horse for Wall Street and the "banksters," we are screwed beyond all hope of salvation without a rising of the American people in a general strike. But as a person who suffers type III bipolar disorder, I have to hope we are not that far gone...Yet. The alternative is too horrible to imagine.
Saturday, July 23, 2011Dumb and Dumbest If Obama is simply the populist stalking horse for Wall Street and the "banksters," we are screwed beyond all hope of salvation without a rising of the American people in a general strike. But as a person who suffers type III bipolar disorder, I have to hope we are not that far gone...Yet. The alternative is too horrible to imagine.
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Friday, July 22, 2011
Teach Your Children--A Rock and Roll Epistle It takes a community, to paraphrase Hillary, to raise a child in a free society. A child in a free society is not an automaton or drone, who meekly accepts his lot. He is a fearless being who believes his government should be more afraid of the people than the people are of the government. He is not impressed by wealth, position, or power; rather honesty, honor and conscience.
Friday, July 22, 2011Teach Your Children--A Rock and Roll Epistle It takes a community, to paraphrase Hillary, to raise a child in a free society. A child in a free society is not an automaton or drone, who meekly accepts his lot. He is a fearless being who believes his government should be more afraid of the people than the people are of the government. He is not impressed by wealth, position, or power; rather honesty, honor and conscience.
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Saturday, July 9, 2011
Revolution-A Rock and Roll Epistle One of the resources I attempt to bring to my readers is putting together a number of articles I have seen in a coherent form to make a point. This is one of those. It points out how Wal-Mart is representative of all the corporations trying to crush the middle class, why the destruction of the unions have long been the first priority in destroying FDR's New Deal, and why we should emulate our revolutionary founders.
Saturday, July 9, 2011Revolution-A Rock and Roll Epistle One of the resources I attempt to bring to my readers is putting together a number of articles I have seen in a coherent form to make a point. This is one of those. It points out how Wal-Mart is representative of all the corporations trying to crush the middle class, why the destruction of the unions have long been the first priority in destroying FDR's New Deal, and why we should emulate our revolutionary founders.
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Friday, June 24, 2011
Submitted for Your Consideration Sometimes you are shocked in your reading, and sometimes you shock your friends when you tell them what you read. Karl Marx is proving himself a prophet in his Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts, written in 1844. He describes much of the detereoration of America's working and middle classes as if he were reading today's headlines. It was very nearly a Depends moment, it scared me so much.
Friday, June 24, 2011Submitted for Your Consideration Sometimes you are shocked in your reading, and sometimes you shock your friends when you tell them what you read. Karl Marx is proving himself a prophet in his Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts, written in 1844. He describes much of the detereoration of America's working and middle classes as if he were reading today's headlines. It was very nearly a Depends moment, it scared me so much.
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Thursday, June 2, 2011
Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense I am tired of the followers of Ayn Rand using her so-called Objectivist philosophy to justify their being hateful, uncaring bastards to the rest of humanity. At a time like this, one must pullout the big guns to demonstrate how Un-American her philosophy is. In the Hagiology of American political thought, there is no bigger gun than Thomas Jefferson, although I admit it's like using a nuke to kill a gnat.
Thursday, June 2, 2011Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense I am tired of the followers of Ayn Rand using her so-called Objectivist philosophy to justify their being hateful, uncaring bastards to the rest of humanity. At a time like this, one must pullout the big guns to demonstrate how Un-American her philosophy is. In the Hagiology of American political thought, there is no bigger gun than Thomas Jefferson, although I admit it's like using a nuke to kill a gnat.
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Wednesday, May 18, 2011
The Four Horsemen of Calumny Being a Republican used to be respectable, back when Margaret Chase Smith was Senator from Maine. Of course in those days, conservatives weren't so stupid as to equate socialism and Stalinism. Only extreme reactionaries like Joe McCarthy and Ayn Rand did that. The American people were too smart to fall for such crap. Unfortunately, our educational system and media has declined since then.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011The Four Horsemen of Calumny Being a Republican used to be respectable, back when Margaret Chase Smith was Senator from Maine. Of course in those days, conservatives weren't so stupid as to equate socialism and Stalinism. Only extreme reactionaries like Joe McCarthy and Ayn Rand did that. The American people were too smart to fall for such crap. Unfortunately, our educational system and media has declined since then.
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Friday, May 6, 2011
Contra Rand I was asked by a conservative friend if I wished to see the movie "Atlas Shrugged." I told him no: I had no desire to economically support a cause which I felt was at the root of America's problems. The amphetamine addicted, serial killer infatuated, history deficient, borderline sociopathic writer of fiction has convinced millions of people (mostly in the U.S.) that "she has the answer." In a pig's eye.
Friday, May 6, 2011Contra Rand I was asked by a conservative friend if I wished to see the movie "Atlas Shrugged." I told him no: I had no desire to economically support a cause which I felt was at the root of America's problems. The amphetamine addicted, serial killer infatuated, history deficient, borderline sociopathic writer of fiction has convinced millions of people (mostly in the U.S.) that "she has the answer." In a pig's eye.
